Joan C. Arnold

Retired Partner
Pepper Center Fellow

215.981.4362

More ways to contact Joan C. Arnold

Joan leveraged decades of experience to structure domestic and international transactions for maximum tax advantage, and to resolve the toughest tax planning challenges faced by corporate and private equity fund clients.

Firm News

Troutman Pepper Locke Named Outstanding M&A Law Firm, Wins Two Deal of the Year Awards at Global M&A Network’s USA Middle Market Atlas Awards
Overview
Insights
Awards

Joan is a fellow of The Pepper Center for Public Service. The Pepper Center draws on the talents of the firm’s retired partners and senior attorneys to wrestle with tough problems facing our communities. Through the Center, these attorneys study, analyze, and work to resolve problems that affect the lives of people in our communities.

Joan is a widely recognized authority on federal and international income tax. She has extensive experience helping clients navigate the tax aspects of their domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, stock offerings, and other corporate finance matters. Joan regularly advised on corporate and partnership taxation, corporate and private investment fund formation, and tax planning. She is particularly experienced in tax issues related to private equity fund structures and transactions.

Joan was an integral member of the firm’s corporate, life sciences, and private equity deal teams, and has structured the tax aspects of hundreds of domestic and cross-border transactions.

Joan is a well-known leader of the tax bar and longtime educator. For more than 30 years, she has taught corporate and international tax for graduate tax programs at several law schools throughout the U.S. and frequently presents at international tax conferences. Joan is past chair of the Section of Taxation of the American Bar Association, past president of the American College of Tax Counsel, and is a member of the advisory committee for the George Washington/IRS International Tax Institute. She is also a past member of the executive committee of the U.S. Branch of the International Fiscal Association.

  • Legal 500 United States for Tax: International Tax (2024-2025)
  • ITR World Tax, “Highly Regarded, Women in Tax Leader,” Pennsylvania (2024-2025)
  • Pennsylvania Super Lawyers (2004-2021)
  • Highly ranked (Tier I) by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business in tax law, Pennsylvania (2016-2025)
  • Selected for the Philadelphia Business Journal‘s “Best of the Bar: Philadelphia’s Top Lawyers” (2019)
  • Best Lawyers in America®: Tax Law (2007-2026)
  • Named the Philadelphia Best Lawyers Tax Lawyer of the Year (2010)
  • Listed in The International Who’s Who of Corporate Tax Lawyers, The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers, Who’s Who Legal International – Corporate Tax (2013), and Lexology Index: Corporate Tax (formerly Who’s Who Legal) (2014-2019, 2022, 2024)
  • Named Distinguished Leader, Pennsylvania Legal Awards, The Legal Intelligencer (2024)
Overview

Joan is a fellow of The Pepper Center for Public Service. The Pepper Center draws on the talents of the firm’s retired partners and senior attorneys to wrestle with tough problems facing our communities. Through the Center, these attorneys study, analyze, and work to resolve problems that affect the lives of people in our communities.

Joan is a widely recognized authority on federal and international income tax. She has extensive experience helping clients navigate the tax aspects of their domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, stock offerings, and other corporate finance matters. Joan regularly advised on corporate and partnership taxation, corporate and private investment fund formation, and tax planning. She is particularly experienced in tax issues related to private equity fund structures and transactions.

Joan was an integral member of the firm’s corporate, life sciences, and private equity deal teams, and has structured the tax aspects of hundreds of domestic and cross-border transactions.

Joan is a well-known leader of the tax bar and longtime educator. For more than 30 years, she has taught corporate and international tax for graduate tax programs at several law schools throughout the U.S. and frequently presents at international tax conferences. Joan is past chair of the Section of Taxation of the American Bar Association, past president of the American College of Tax Counsel, and is a member of the advisory committee for the George Washington/IRS International Tax Institute. She is also a past member of the executive committee of the U.S. Branch of the International Fiscal Association.

Insights

Firm News

Troutman Pepper Locke Named Outstanding M&A Law Firm, Wins Two Deal of the Year Awards at Global M&A Network’s USA Middle Market Atlas Awards

Firm News

The M&A Advisor Recognizes Troutman Pepper Locke With Information Technology Deal of the Year and Corporate/Strategic Deal of the Year Awards

Firm News

Troutman Pepper Locke Advises Ocugen in License Agreement With Kwangdong

Firm News

Troutman Pepper Locke Strengthens Tax and Benefits Practice With Addition of Aresh Homayoun in Washington, D.C.

See all insights from Joan C. Arnold

Awards
  • Legal 500 United States for Tax: International Tax (2024-2025)
  • ITR World Tax, “Highly Regarded, Women in Tax Leader,” Pennsylvania (2024-2025)
  • Pennsylvania Super Lawyers (2004-2021)
  • Highly ranked (Tier I) by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business in tax law, Pennsylvania (2016-2025)
  • Selected for the Philadelphia Business Journal‘s “Best of the Bar: Philadelphia’s Top Lawyers” (2019)
  • Best Lawyers in America®: Tax Law (2007-2026)
  • Named the Philadelphia Best Lawyers Tax Lawyer of the Year (2010)
  • Listed in The International Who’s Who of Corporate Tax Lawyers, The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers, Who’s Who Legal International – Corporate Tax (2013), and Lexology Index: Corporate Tax (formerly Who’s Who Legal) (2014-2019, 2022, 2024)
  • Named Distinguished Leader, Pennsylvania Legal Awards, The Legal Intelligencer (2024)
  • Pro bono counsel to ACTC
  • Chair (2020-2021), chair-elect (2019-2020), vice chair (2016-2018), council director for international committees (2010-2014); prior activities: chair, Committee on US Activities of Foreign Persons and Tax Treaties; chair, US-European Tax Planning Strategies Conference (four years), Tax Section of the American Bar Association
  • Fellow (Regent 2009-2012; secretary/treasurer 2012-2013; vice president 2013-2014; president 2015-2016), American College of Tax Counsel, member, (1999-present)
  • Vice president; member, Executive Committee, USA Branch of the International Fiscal Association
  • Member, Executive Committee, George Washington/IRS Annual International Tax Institute
  • Past president, Philadelphia Tax Conference
  • Member, Law360 Tax Authority International Advisory Board

Education

  • New York University School of Law, LL.M., 1983, taxation
  • Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law, J.D., 1978
  • Wagner College, B.A., 1975, mathematics

Bar Admissions

  • Pennsylvania
  • New York